Conduct your own biodiversity experiments, test
the toxicity of Great Lakes contaminants, and travel back in time 10,000
years to go fishing in Lake Erie. With the Great Lakes Explorer CD-ROM,
ecology enthusiasts and students of high-school age and up can participate
in virtual environmental science expeditions. Put your investigative
abilities to the test with this ultra-interactive CD as you learn about
the animal life of the Great Lakes. You can examine the effects of pollution,
habitat, and geography on biological diversity; test the toxicity of
pesticides and heavy metals on different species; and study how environmental
change impacts fish communities.

Travel
to a small island in Lake Erie that is home to the Great Lakes Research
Institute. With a researcher from the institute as your guide, choose
between 44 different sites on the Great Lakes to collect fish samples.
Examine the difference between fish communities in clean vs.
polluted sites, inshore vs. offshore sites, or compare populations
from Lake Superior and Lake Erie. Learn how to choose sampling equipment
and experience firsthand data collection based on real field studies.

Play
at being an environmental toxicologist with the "Toxomatic".
Simulate experiments to test the toxicity of pesticides, such as
DDT and atrazine, or heavy metals like mercury. Compare your results
for several different species of Great Lakes organisms. The "Toxomatic"
guides you through the steps in contaminant testing and graphs your
results.

Join
Captain Tucker in his time machine to examine the changes in the
fish communities of Lake Erie over the last 10,000 years. Witness
the decline of some fish and the increase in abundance of others.
Gain a new perspective on the impacts of humans on the Great Lakes
ecosystem.

Teacher Information

This
CD-ROM is suitable for intermediate students (Grades 710). Each
module is designed as a stand-alone lesson of approximately 30 minutes.
Interactive student reports are incorporated into the modules. This
approach combines the motivational power of CD-ROM interactivity with
ease of evaluation for instructors.

A comprehensive teacher's manual is printable
from this CD. It provides background information on concepts, experimental
methods, and programming. The document also provides full descriptions
of the assignments, and the reports they generate, including marking
schemes. Suggestions for further assignments and a bibliography for
other Great Lakes resources are included.